Packaging machine



Aug. 7, 1956 J. L. HEINL EITAL PACKAGING MACHINE Filed April 25, 1955 4 Sheets-$hee t. l

Aug 7, 1956 Filed April 23, 1953 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 grwwvtoms mug, 7,, 1956 PACKAGING MACHINE Filed April 25, 1953 Fin-i J. L. HEINL ET AL 4 Shee'ts-Sheet I5 ammo a5 J. Lawrence Hein/ Vl/l/llam d lYl/lll'" s- 7, 1956 J. 1.. Hm. Em 2,757,500 PACKAGING MACHINE A,

Filed April 23, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet. 4

M; d. Law/'ence He/h/ 39 Will/"am J. M/Mer TO RELEAsE United States Patent Ofice 2,757,500 Patented Aug. 7, 1956 PACKAGING MACHINE Joseph Lawrence Heinl and William J. Miller, Toledo, Ohio, said Miller assignor to said Heinl Application April 23', 1953, Serial No. 350,548

3 Claims. (Cl. 58-255) This invention relates to packaging machines, and particularly to such a machine adapted for the packaging of a plurality of small packages in a larger container for shipment or storage.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a novel, simple and efficient machine of this character which permits the assembly of a plurality of small packages in a predetermined shape or sequence and the subsequent placing of such package assembly in a single container in an easy, rapid and economical manner.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description, and from the accompanying drawings illustrating one embodiment thereof, and in which- Fig. l is a front elevation of the machine showing an assembly of packages therein preparatory to placing a larger receiving bag thereover and with parts broken away;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof showing the package assembly case in both full line and dotted line positions partially moved to inverted position and with a large receiving bag thereon;

Fig. 3 is a front elevation similar to Fig. 1, with the package receiving case in inverted position and raised from the larger bag to which the package assembly has been delivered, parts of the machine being broken away;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged section on the line 4-4 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged section on the line 5-5 in Fig. 3, and

Fig. 6 is an enlarged section on the line 6-6 in Fig. 1.

The machine comprises at each of opposite sides thereof a pair of parallel uprights 10, 10 spaced lengthwise of the machine to form a vertical space 11 (Fig. 4) therebetween and resting at their lower ends on the floor or other suitable support. The uprights of each pair are rigidly connected to those of the other pair at the top and near the bottom by cross-pieces 12 and the top crosspieces are in turn connected at their ends by members 13. The members 10, 12 and 13, in the present instance, being of angle iron.

A guide strip 14 (Fig. 4) is attached to one flange of each upright 10 to cooperate with the other flange thereof to form a guideway 15, with the guideway of the two uprights facing each other. The guideways 15 of each pair of uprights receive the adjacent edges of a respective cross-head 16 and guide its vertical movements between the uprights. The upper end of the front frame structure above-described is braced at the rear at each side thereof by a member 17 (Fig. 2).

A U-shaped cradle 20 is disposed between the two pair of uprights 10 and has a stub-shaft or trunnion 21 projecting in axial alignment outwardly from each leg thereof and journaled in bearings 22 on the respective cross-head 16, thus permitting a swinging of the cradle in a vertical plane to reverse its position.

Mounted on and rising from the cross-piece 20*- of the cradle diametrical of or in intersecting relation to the axes of the trunnions 21 is a packaging case 24 into which a plurality of small packages A may be placed in closely assembled position. This case, in the present instance, is mounted on a support 25 that is fixedly positioned on the cradle cross-piece 20 The case 24, in the present instance, is substantially rectangular in crosssection and formed of sheet metal or other suitable stiff material having a comparatively smooth outer surface to permit the longitudinal fitting thereover of a large bag or container B, as hereinafter described. The case is closed at its bottom end on three sides and is open at its free end, which is the top in Fig. 1, and is also open, at least partially, at its front side, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4. The bottom 26 of the case is preferably vertically adjustable to vary the length of the packing space therein, as may be desired. The case 24 is preferably so positioned relative to the cradle axis that its weight, combined with that of. the load and of the cradle, will have its center of gravity at approximately the turning axis of the cradle, thus making it easy to turn the cradle together with its load in a vertical plane.

Any suitable load balancing device may be used. In the present instance a counter-weight 28 is connected to each cross-head 16 through a respective cable 29 with one cable passing over sheaves 30 and the other over a sheave 31 at the top of the frame structure. Such weight is sufiicient to counterbalance said cross-heads and the weight of the parts supported thereby, so that the cradle with its load may be easily raised and lowered. The lower or package loading position of the cradle is determined by the cross-heads 16 striking stop pieces 32 on the pairs of uprights 10, as shown in Fig. 1, and a catch-finger 33 engages the lower edge of one cross-head toretain it and the associated parts in lowered position. This catch-finger is of bell-crank form and is connected at one end by a rod 34 to a foot pedal 35, whereby depression of the pedal releases the catch. A coiled expansion spring 36 normally hold the catch in engaged position.

A brake band 37 of the split type engages a brake drum 38 on one of the cradle shafts 21 and is actuated by a brake lever 39 to have frictional brake engagement with the drum. This lever has a connection 40 with an operating hand lever 41 which is fulcrumed to the adjacent cross-head 16 and normally held in braking position by a coiled expansion spring 42.

At the upper inner side of each pair of uprights 10 are mounted two forwardly and rearwardly spaced guide bars 44 and 45 with the lower ends of the rear bars 45 extending below the bars 44. When the cradle 20 is in reversed or unloading position with the case 24 in suspended relation thereto, the sides or leg portions of the cradle bear rearwardly against the lower extended ends of the guide-bars 45, and upon an upward movement of the cradle are guided thereby into the guiding spaces between the two sets of bars 44 and 45. The cradle 16 and case 24 are thus caused to have true vertical movements during each package discharging withdrawal of the case from a large bag B, as hereinafter more fully described. During such withdrawal, the bottom or closed end of the bag B rests, in the present instance, on a subjacent intermittently moved conveyor 50 by which the filled bag is moved out of vertical register with the case. Manual turning of the cradle and its case is facilitated by the provision of a handle 51 on the cross-piece 20 of the cradle and a hand-hold 52 in the back of the case 24 near its top. Since the large bag B is placed loosely over the case 24 prior to turning it end for end, means are provided to hold the bag in place as the contents of the case shift their weight from shelf 26 to the bottom of the large bag during the reversal. Any suitable clamp 27 may be fixed to the adjustable shelf for this purpose, the clamp being provided with manually releasable spring pressed jaws which engaged the lip of the bag B when the latter is placed over the case 24 and its previously loaded contents.

In operation the cradle 20, prior to its case 24 being loaded with small packages'A, is positioned as shown in Fig. l with the cradle at the lowermost point in its swing and with the case in substantially a vertical plane with its open end' upward and its open side forward. The cradle is frictionally held in this position by the action of the brake-band 37 on the drum 38. The cradle is also held in loading position by the catch 33. The case 24 may now be filled with the desired number of small packages A. When the loading operation has been completed, the operator draws the open end of alarge bag or container B the full extent down over the case, clamps the bag in position with clamp 27 and then moves the handle 41 to release the brake and by hand gives the cradle a half turn to place the loaded case 24 and enclosing bag B in reversed position, as indicated in Fig. 2. This movement of the cradle is stopped by striking the downwardly extending ends of the guide-bars 45. This places the bottom of the bag B in position to rest on the now stationary conveyor 50 so that upon an upward movement of the cradle and case between the guides 44 and 45 these parts may be separated from the contents of the bag, which shifted from shelf 26 to the bottom of the bag during the reversal. This movement is accomplished by first releasing the bag clamp 27, the latch 33 and then raising the cradle with the assistance of the counter-weights 28. After a filling and removal of the bag B from the case 24, the conveyor may then be started and the loaded bag conveyed or removed to a position where it may be closed and suitably sealed. The cradle and case may then be returned to the loading position shown in Fig. 1 preparatory to placing another assembly of small bags A in the case 24.

We wish it understood that our invention is not limited to any specific construction, arrangement or form of the parts, as it is capable of numerous modifications and changes without departing from'the spirit of the claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a packaging machine, means at each side forming transversely spaced vertical guides, a second vertical guiding means at the upper endof said first means, hearing means guided for vertical movements by said first means, a U-shaped cradle having transversely projecting axially aligned trunnions at the free ends of its legs journaled in said bearing means for movements therewith, a packing case mounted on and rising from the loop member of said cradle and extending across the swinging axis thereof, said case being reversible end for end by a swinging of the cradle and having its outer end relative to the cradle open, said case also having a crosssectional shape and size suitable for a bag, into which the contents of the case are to be transferred, to be drawn downwardly thereover'when the case and cradle are in lower swung'position, and means counterbalancing the Weight of the packed case and cradle to facilitate raising and withdrawing of the case from the enclosing bag to transfer the case contents to the bag, said cradle when in inverted position engaging and having its vertical movements guided by said second guide means.

2. A combination as called for in claim 1, together with trip means holding the cradle in lowered ease filling position.

3. A combination as called for in claim 1, together with a releasable brake associated with and operable to resist turning movements of flme cradle.

Beck et al. Jan. 2, 1934 Eberling etal. Oct. 8, 1935 

